Conga lines up West Michigan user groups to share tech know-how

It’s no secret that technology plays a role in almost every business in the world. What might not be so well known is the growing West Michigan community of developers, programmers, designers and engineers that provide the expertise and creativity that makes technology functional to the end user.

As evidence of this growth, you need to look no further than the increasing number of user groups that are active in West Michigan.

User groups are organizations formed around a shared interest in programming, software and technology. They can be formal or informal and they exist to help individuals learn from each other and also “to learn from outside speakers,” says Ben Rousch, one of the organizers of the new site Conga.

Conga’s mission is to coordinate the various user groups by providing a central calendar with meeting dates, speakers and special events within the industry.

“The tech world moves very fast,” Rousch says. “To keep up with these changes, you really have three options: learn on your own, read or join a user group.”

Before Conga, Rousch says many of the user groups existed “in silos” without much formal communication between each other. With Conga, Rousch and others involved in this initiative hope to be able to consolidate all this activity. He encourages anyone involved with a user group to list the events on the site.

Although involved in the IT sector for more than 10 years, Rousch did not attend his first user group until 2009 when the the economy left him a bit nervous and decided he needed to network more. Since then, he heartily recommends this type of networking for anyone involved in the industry. 

“The learning experience is cheaper than other alternatives,” he says. “(It is) typically the “price of a beer. Everyone is very friendly and everyone is welcome.”

Writer: John Rumery, IMG Innovation and Jobs Writer
Source: Ben Rousch, Conga